New ‘Tesla Tunnels’ Approved for Musk’s Vegas Loop

Posted on: March 13, 2024, 03:04h. 

Last updated on: March 14, 2024, 11:44h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) board approved two new tunnels for the Vegas Loop, Elon Musk’s underground transportation system on and around the Strip.

Vegas Loop
Locals and critics refer to the Vegas Loop as “Tesla Tunnels,” because they feature manned Tesla vehicles traveling at 30 mph, rather than the 155 mph, self-driving shuttles for 18 that were promised when the Vegas Loop received its initial LVCVA approval. (Image: The Boring Co.)

The extension will run for two miles beneath Paradise Road, from Thomas & Mack Center to Harry Reid International Airport. The hope is to alleviate a major source of traffic congestion on the streets above.

“The project is exceptionally important to Las Vegas,” Steve Hill, LVCVA’s CEO and president, told the board. “It is the realistic opportunity to make a dent in the congestion in the city, to make the visitor experience significantly better.”

The green light was given despite a $100K fine recently slapped on Musk’s The Boring Co., the business that digs the tunnels.  OSHA last month ordered the fines for eight “serious” safety violations. According to documents, between 15-20 employees claimed to have received chemical burns from sludge accidentally spilled while working in the underground tunnels.

The Boring Company was given 30 days to correct the violations.

“They’ve addressed the OSHA violations that happened during construction projects,” Hill said during the meeting. “Nobody likes them and there should be a no-tolerance attitude towards safety (and) I think the company has that.”

According to news reports, the one nay vote was cast by board member and Las Vegas Mayor Caroline Goodman, an outspoken critic of the Vegas Loop who has previously called the project “unsafe” and impractical.”

In Other Boring News

A proposed Vegas Loop station at Allegiant Stadium could displace hundreds of parking spots required by Clark County code.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, plans recently submitted to Clark County by Las Vegas Raiders officials call for a boarding platform to surface in Lot B, near the intersection of Hacienda and Polaris avenues. The platform could eliminate between 124-200 spaces from the 210-space lot.

Based on the size of the 65,000-capacity stadium, Clark County code requires 16,550 on-site parking spaces. However, in 2017, the county approved a reduction in that requirement to 2,375 spaces. It cited the availability of nearly 13K offsite parking spaces at surrounding businesses and a variety of alternate transportation methods.

The Raiders’ request includes a request to reduce that requirement to 2,175 parking spaces.

If approved, work on the new platform would need to begin within two years.